This invention relates to a waveform measuring and analyzing apparatus having resident software programmed processor means for displaying and analyzing waveforms.
Oscilloscopes are widely employed in the measurement and analysis of changing physical phenomena. The phenomena being analyzed may be repetitive or transient. Generally, a transducer develops an analog voltage signal in accordance with a sensed physical phenomena. The waveform may be derived from various sources and require varying coupling or interfacing means to the oscilloscope. Generally, conventional oscilloscopes have therefore employed plug-in interfacing modules with hardwired signal modifying components to develop an appropriate input signal to the oscilloscope. The plug-in units are wired with releasable connectors interconnecting the plug-in components to the oscilloscope components. The plug-in units are generally constructed of a rectangular box-like structure or housing with the controls and related indicia located for upright insertion into the oscilloscope housing or cabinet.
Digital oscilloscopes have recently been developed which include means for digitizing a signal, sotring such digitized signal in memory and producing a replica of the analog signal from such digitized data. Digital oscilloscopes may also be constructed with signal coupling receptacles or sockets to receive various signal modifying plug-in units which are constructed to accommodate various ranges and types of input signals.
A particularly satisfactory and improved waveform measuring and analyzing instrument incorporating all of the characteristics of digital oscilloscopes and transient recorders and in addition signal processing capability is disclosed in the copending application of Frederick A. Rose entitled "WAVEFORM MEASURING MEANS WITH RESIDENT PROGRAMMED PROCESSOR FOR CONTROLLED WAVEFORM DISPLAY AND WAVEFORM DATA REDUCTION AND CALCULATION" filed on Mar. 26, 1976, bearing Ser. No. 670,703, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,851, and assigned to the same assignee.
As more fully disclosed in the above application, the instrument includes a digital memory unit to store digitized waveform samples for display on an oscilloscope tube. The instrument includes a resident, special programmed processor. The memory unit and display unit include controllers with data communication transferred over hardwire interfacing, with program tables written by the processor. An integrated interactive keyboard is also provided with user operated data reduction and calculating keys which actuate the processor to execute an appropriate one of a plurality of corresponding program routines in the processor memory to do appropriate data reduction and calculation on the waveform array data in memory or on related data. The interactive keyboard has numeric entry keys and separate keys for the four basic arithmetic functions and for compound mathematic functions such as derivative, integrals, peak area calculation, rise time and the like for operation on full arrays in memory and on single valued data in registers. The function keys are directly identified by known arithmetic and compound function symbols employed in scientific analysis and discussion. Special keys are also provided for programmed positioning of cursors, operation of internal optional devices and entry of keystrokes in a special sequence "learn" memory bank. The instrument is constructed with the interactive keyboard programmed for generalized waveform display and analysis. Plug-in units may, of course, be provided in accordance with conventional practice to vary the signal coupling characteristics.